Drinking water from holes in dry river bed causes diarrhoea deaths in Jowhar

Jowhar hospital is currently treating 38 people, mostly children, for diarrhoea.
The director of the Intersos-run hospital, Abdirahman Ali Abdirahman, told Radio Ergo that people in the district were drinking contaminated water from holes dug in the dry river bed.
The water scarcity had lowered standards of hygiene and sanitation, leaving households unable to wash regularly or to clean cooking utensils.
He also requested health agencies and the Hirshabelle regional state administration to work together to give people access to safe drinking water as well as toilet facilities to curb the spread of disease.
The villages where the disease is spreading include Tugaarey, Gololey, Madah-gisi, Labo-waab, Raqayle, El-adde, Jamaac’o iyo Ali-waraabey in Jowhar district.
He said they were receiving free treatment and were recovering.
Alasow said both adult siblings had fallen sick one night while they were out hunting antelopes.
This is a new economic activity for local farmers, who lost all their crops in consecutive failed rainy seasons.
He said that seven people had died of diarrhoea in El-adde.
Faay Haji Ali told Radio Ergo by phone that her husband died of diarrhoea three days ago in Tugaarey village, seven km outside Jowhar.

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